The showdown over the WTO was NOT about stopping trade
The seattle tea party
Also in this issue
- Bill clinton's anti-trust meow
- Cell phone alert
- On-the-job drug testing a bust
- "intelligent" vending machines
- Clean clothes in bangor
- Membership has its privileges
What the hell's happening here? Why is my bank in the tank? And my house and job? And my retirement money? Even my state's teetering on the brink of broke! Who did this to us? Fair questions, but we're not getting honest answers. 
Clean clothes in bangor
About half of the clothing sold in American stores is made in sweatshops. While politicos and CEOs pay lip service to dealing with this problem, the good citizens of Bangor, Maine are doing something about it.
In 1997, a retailer and consumer partnership launched the Bangor Clean Clothes Campaign, putting the city on record against sweatshop-stained clothes. Clothing stores in Bangor, Bar Harbor, Belfast, Blue Hill and elsewhere now research the working conditions of their suppliers and develop a "clean clothes inventory" in their shops. The retailers promote clothing that has been certified by independent monitors to be produced in non-sweatshop conditions, emphasizing garments with union labels. And the shops have knowledgeable sales people who can talk with customers about where the stock has come from.
The Campaign has persuaded the Bangor city council to enact policy that requires the local government to buy police uniforms, soccer league equipment, jailhouse sheets, and so forth from non-sweatshop suppliers.
You can do this in your town, too—just keep an eye out for the WTO! Call the Bangor Clean Clothes Campaign at 207-947-4203 to learn how.